OK, so there's the Associated Press, the Coaches' poll and the BCS rankings, but none have the enthusiasm, or maybe sarcasm, as the Times-Picayune rankings. We'll give you a brand of humor with these picks - usually with a crazy pick at No. 25 each week - or in our quips about a certain team. Don't get too worked up about it, though, nobody goes to a bowl or stays home from a bowl based on our poll, it's all in fun.

Times-Picayune Top 25

1. Texas Tech (10-0)
Last week: 2; Saturday: def. Oklahoma State, 56-20; The skinny: Don't think the Red Raiders are ready for prime time? How many teams could have followed beating Texas like they did by smashing another Top 10 foe? And now they've got two weeks to get ready for the Sooners. Next: Nov. 22 at Oklahoma.

2. Florida (8-1)
Last week: 3; Saturday: def. Vanderbilt, 42-14; The skinny: Why not? Just check the way the Gators beat LSU and how close 'Bama came to blowing it. And the Ole Miss team that beat Florida took the Tide to the wire. The SEC Championship Game is going to be a doozy. Next: Saturday vs. South Carolina

3. Alabama (10-0)
Last week: 1; Saturday: def. LSU, 27-21; The skinny: Man, Nick Saban must have had half of the Alabama Highway Patrol surrounding him at Tiger Stadium. Hint: If you lose to Sylvester Croom at Bryant-Denny Saturday you might need more of them. Next: Saturday vs. Mississippi State.

4. Texas (9-1)
Last week: 5. Saturday: def. Baylor, 45-21; The skinny: After coming within one second of successfully running the toughest four-week gauntlet in history, the Longhorns deserved a Baylor break. Next: Saturday at Kansas

5. Oklahoma (9-1)
Last week: 6; Saturday: def. Texas A&M, 66-28; The skinny: The Sooners keep piling up the points, and it looks like the defense is catching up as well. Next: Nov. 22 vs. Texas Tech

6. Southern California (8-1)
Last week: 8; Saturday: def. California, 17-3. The skinny: Here's a good one: It's possible for the Trojans to play for the national championship but not be the Pac-10 team in the Rose Bowl. Only in the BCS. Next: Saturday at Stanford

7. Penn State (9-1)
Last week: 4; Saturday: Lost to Iowa, 24-23; The skinny: Yea, you've gotta feel for JoePa because this may have been his last shot at another national title. But at least we've probably been spared seeing another Big Ten blown out in the championship game. Next: Saturday vs. Indiana.

8. Oklahoma State (8-2)
Last week: 7; Saturday: Lost to Texas Tech, 56-20; The skinny: It's hard to drop the Cowboys too far. Maybe T. Boone Pickens can use his influence to get them moved to the Big 12 North. Next: Saturday at Colorado

9. Missouri (8-2)
Last week: 9; Saturday: def. Kansas State, 41-24; The skinny: Does anybody remember when the Tigers' Jeremy Macklin and not Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree was considered the nation's best receiver? Macklin's still out there (118 receiving yards, 84 rushing yards, three TDs). Next: Saturday at Kansas State

10. Ohio State (8-2)
Last week: 10; Saturday: def. Northwestern, 45-10; The skinny: Not only are the Buckeyes out of the national title picture, but Penn State's loss probably ends their chance to go to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 12 years. Next: Saturday at Illinois

11. Utah (10-0)
Last week: 12; Saturday: def. TCU, 13-10; The skinny: The Utes were outgained 416 yards to 275 and didn't score the winning touchdown (and their only one of the game) until the final minute. Doesn't matter. They're looking like they're BCS-bound again. Next: Saturday at San Diego State

12. Georgia (8-2)
Last week: 13; Saturday: def. Kentucky 42-38; The skinny: After they barely escaped the Wildcats, we wanted to drop the Bulldogs several notches, but instead moved them up because we couldn't find anybody else that's better. Next: Saturday at Auburn

13. Boise State (9-0)
Last week: 15; Saturday: def. Utah State, 49-17; The skinny: The Broncos' Smurf Turf blue uniforms blend in so well with their field that it's hard to tell where the players end and the grass begins. Isn't that some kind of NCAA violation? Next: Saturday at Idaho

14. LSU (6-3)
Last week: 14; Saturday: lost to Alabama, 27-21; The skinny: OK, Tiger fans. Jarrett Lee stinks, but would you really rather still have Ryan Perrilloux on the team? Don't answer that. Next: Saturday vs. Troy

15. North Carolina (7-2)
Last week: 17; Saturday: def. Georgia Tech, 28-17; The skinny: Would someone please tell us who's the best team in the ACC? We don't even know who's in which division. Next: Saturday at Maryland

16. Michigan State (9-2)
Last week: 18; Saturday: def. Purdue, 21-7; The skinny: Javon Ringer and the rest of the Spartans have the Rose Bowl on their minds. A tough assignment, but doable. Next: Nov. 22 at Penn State

17. Texas Christian (9-2)
Last week: 11; Saturday: lost to Utah, 13-10; The skinny: We really wanted the Horned Frogs to be the first one-loss BCS buster. Guess that will have to wait for at least another year. Next: Nov. 22 vs. Air Force

18. South Carolina (7-3)
Last week: NR; Saturday: def. Arkansas, 34-21; The skinny: Hard to believe a Steve Spurrier-coached team could be flying under the radar. Think the Head Ball Coach wouldn't love to play super spoiler this week? Next: Saturday vs. Florida

19. Oregon State (6-3); Saturday: def. UCLA, 34-6; The skinny: The Beavers remain a longshot to make it to the Rose Bowl. But who doesn't love longshots? Next: Saturday vs. California

20. Ball State (9-0)
Last week: 22; Saturday: def. Northern Illinois, 45-14; The skinny: The Cardinals looked destined to be the 2008 version of Tulane '98. Unbeaten but no BCS bowl. Next: Tuesday at Miami (Ohio)

21. Cincinnati (7-2); Saturday: def. West Virginia, 26-23; The skinny: Figuring out the top dog in the Big East is as confusing as doping out the ACC. At least the Big East doesn't have divisions. Next: Friday at Louisville

22. Pittsburgh (7-2); Saturday: def. Louisville, 42-7; The skinny: The Panthers' 54-34 loss to Rutgers remains one of the year's top head scratchers. But in the anyone-can-beat-anyone else Big East, it doesn't seem to matter. Next: Nov. 22 at Cincinnati

23. West Virginia (6-3)
Last week: 16; Saturday: lost to Cincinnati, 26-23; The skinny: Talk about blowing it. The Mountaineers gave up 13 points in the final 1:13 and then couldn't stop the Bearcats in overtime - all at home. Inexcusable. Next: Nov. 22 at Louisville

24. Florida State (7-2); Saturday: def. Clemson, 41-27; The skinny: The Bowden Bowl had lost its luster even before Tommy was fired. The Seminoles are yet another hard-to-figure ACC team. Next: Saturday vs. Boston College

25. Wyoming (4-6); Saturday: def. Tennessee, 13-7; The skinny: The Cowboys' Joe Glenn was a coach in dire need of a job-saving victory. Don't know if beating the Vols this year qualifies though. Next: Thursday at UNLV.